Narrative Background Story
Drifting back in from unconciousness i look around and see nothing but brush and trees....But i look down and my feet and hands are tied to a small tree ....I taste the blood in my mouth and realise my nose is broken and i have a fat lip where two teeth have gone through making it difficult to breath ..Where am i one moment i was walking through the bush with mates the next i wake up here ...i look up to see one of my mates flayed and strapped to a tree ....His head bloodied deeply by the lack of scalp on his head and at my feet the bloodied knife that must of tortured him so ..... I look around and nobody to be seen ...i listen and hear nothing but the wind in the tree's.I quickly cut myself free .My friend i leave him there no time to sit here and morn he is dead im not and whoever did this to him could still be here its time to go...... Just then is when i hear the hoots and cries .I look and like shadows amongst the tree's i see the wraiths that haunt me now .A hint of steel helmet is all i see and i run ...run with all i have . I hear in the distance "Your friend was not worthy and shall not join the Squall ...... Are you worthy POPPET?" I run and i keep on running ,dont look back ,never look back but i do and they keep on coming .Thier numbers i do not know but they are fast and unrelenting .I think to myself that i should have kept hold of the knife but jumping a creek and it slipped in the waters with no time to go after it instead i had changed tack and moved along the creekline hoping i could throw them off by not leaving a trace for them to track but these guys are good and are again on my tail. Im getting tired and the choice is becoming clear do i try to out run them not knowing where i am or do i fight and expect the fate of my poor friend they had tortured and flayed to death. Then something happened ...They had been driving me like a stockman drives cattle .The choice was made and i wont be someones cattle!It was then i seen the first of them, he was dressed in full military gear but what was odd was his helmet .it was nothing i had seen before covering his face and gruesome in detail.As he came closer i noticed the bloodied scalps hanging from his belt .He must have been one of the ones to have done the things to my friends . I snap ,this shit wont fly i turn and run at him at which the warrior with the mask laughs and remarks "so this one does have claws ....Come little one lets see if you have what it takes to be a Masked One of the Squall". The Masked Ones move through the bush all in formation drifting from shadow to shadow like wraiths in a dream. Hand signals are all they use to communicate .They hunt now the question is will the prey stay the hunted or will he find himself in the madness of the Squall.The leader directs two in front to check the creek ...The tracks they had are all but gone ....This prey has talent he thinks to himself and under the mask a sly grin appears but none can see it. Just as he is caught in his moment the scout to his left some 50 meters down stream has seemed to find the trail again .The leader loves the game ...relishes in it and gives a howl trhough which the mask resonates and all his men do the same and as predicted flushes out the prey once again.Again they are on the move this time faster with less need for stealth for the prey tires now ,it can be seen in his tracks.A faulter here a trip there and he has moved right where we want him a blind gulch where there is no way of climbing out .The sides crumble at the touch ,there is no way out and we block the way in. The leader turns and speaks in low tones and all his men hear him "none may enter bar me ...We shall see if he is predator or prey".The Leader seeing the prey turn so quickly laughs and taunts his plaything like a kitten with a toy.He notices the knife he left is not on the plaything " How clumbsy of you to lose such a precious thing especially after i left it for you to cut your binds" The plaything retorts back "Freak why did you do that to my friend?". In quick reply the leader shifting his weight and moving to gain a closer vantage responds"he was not worthy ...he cowered like a little bitch that the master had kicked too many times ...He was not worthy to be one of us "."What and i am ?" at this question from the prey he simply slides a hand behind his back and flicks a slender stilleto in the ground beneath the preys feet."Pick it up prove to me which you are predator or prey and you may earn a place amongst my bretheren as a Masked One of Squall... Dont and you have already sealed your fate." At this simple act the prey quickly snatches the blade from the ground and holds it in a reverse grip behind his forehand guard ."See i knew you were different to your friends you have the heart of a fighter you instictively hold the blade in the hidden posture with the fore hand guarding its position ....Lets see if kitty can use her claw" Walking into the encampment there is Masked Ones doing various tasks that seemed to be routine but carry a finesse of many hours of practice.Soldiers testing each other on field strips trying to beat the clock,Instructors going over drills with armed assailants only to drop the opponant in mere nanoseconds yet each move seems timeless in action.The new recruit is put through his paces but gives no quarter for to do so brings a barrage of punishment and he has seen what happens to others who question the methods of what they do.Others seem to be off the chain and when they remove thier masks wild eyed and full of bloodlust with no thought of pain except the relish they have in dealing it to others. Off to one side is a quarantined area where the two largest guards are that the recruit has ever seen .These guards seem so calm in resolve yet have a chained manor in thier speech as though restrained from certain actions unless let off a chain to do so. Every so often a man in a white coat appears for but a moment before he is wisked back in the area he seems to work .Some ggo in and some dont return but those that return are much like the guards on the gate and very much not like themselves.The more the r ecruit seems to pay attention to the quarantine area the more they others chastise him for being so and his tasks become arduous so as to take his mind off this space he cannot enter and as if on cue the commander of the MoS contingent walks up to him if your so interested in what is in there maybe you will have to be the Professors next test subject........ Going into the professor's compound the recruit now see's several cages with what seems to be some troops that seem to have muscular augmentation only thing is they have degraded into slavering animals and some of the cages are broken and forcefully broken open hinting that whatever was inside has had the chace to escape leaving this young recruit to shudder in fear. As he moves cautiously along the Leader has seen his reaction tto the cages and laughs "a few brothers became more than they could be and joined the forrest in the hunt but becareful when you walk alone you may find yourself the hunted". He laughs again and urges the recruit towards the entry to what seems to be a outdoors laboritory. As he enters through the clear plastic flap the proffessor see's them and gestures politely "Please come in i so miss polite company".He guides the recruit to what looks like a dentist chair with restraints,"Please take a seat i wont be long".In a low voice he speaks to the Leader as quietly as he can "I have the new batch ready but it hasnt been tested but from the results of the last batch i believe we have an 85% chance of success".The leader turns his head towards the proffessor pauses a moment and replies "This one is special i expect nothing but success proffessor ....but if it fails i will take great pleasure in testing the batch on you....my patience is wearing thin and i want RESULTS".he turns to the chair where the recruit has been strapped in by the few assistants the professor has "you will be fine its just a simple proceedure ...I got through it and i feel you will ace this test with flying colours."Gesturing to the professor with a big finger that looks almost like a club " dont fail me proffessor"and leaves the lab and the recruit to the whims of this seemingly quiet man in a white lab coat. As the Professor prepares for his work he shuffles the assistants out the door to his lab " I so hate people watching me work it makes me nervouse and i tend to make mistakes" "Thats ok Professor you wont need to work on me... im a member of the Bastion foundation im here to get you out".The recruit in the chair mentions as the professor move towards him with his instruments. At hearing this the Proffessor stops and looks at the young man in the chair "You wont be taking me anywhere my boy but you can get away yourself go get help if you can but i warn you the beasts you saw outside are those that tried to escape last time and now they are little more than slathering beasts with only the wish to rend flesh from bone and become one with death in its purest form". The Professor moves to the chair and unlashes the opperative from the chair and looking out the window notices the sun just peaking out above the hills ."If you are going to leave now is the time they will find it harder to hunt you during the night now go before i change my mind". "what about you proffessor?" says the opperative now released from his bonds." He wont harm me much ...he needs my research ...now get out of here!!!" The proffessor then proceeds to the door after the boy has left ,locks the door and bides his time till the Leader will return wanting his results.